Last year witnessed significant achievements toward the transition to a lower-carbon economy. A historic agreement among over 180 countries to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions was reached in Paris in December. Also there, 20 countries announced the Mission Innovation initiative, which is aimed at doubling clean energy research and development in the next five years. Continue reading »
Recently, I had the opportunity expand my education in the whole range of technologies that are currently being investigated by scientists around the world to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
The appropriately named “Oxford Greenhouse Gas Removal Conference,” hosted by Tim Kruger at the Oxford Martin School, was devoted to assessing the state of the science for carbon removal technologies and developing strategies for making progress in deploying them. Continue reading »
Exploring Energy Storage Technology and Regulation
January 25, 2016 in Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok
Advanced energy storage systems, like grid-scale batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, and chemical storage have the potential to bolster renewable energy deployment, improve the efficient use of fossil-fueled power plants, reduce electricity production costs, and increase the grid’s resiliency. Continue reading »
The Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative (formerly Midwestern Power Sector
Collaborative) is a diverse stakeholder group formed in 2012 to engage EPA and states on the
regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the Midcontinent region.
Participants include state officials, investor-owned utilities, generation and transmission
cooperatives, merchant generators, public power producers and environmental organizations
from the Midcontinent region or with a significant presence in the region. Continue reading »
MIDCONTINENT POWER SECTOR COLLABORATIVE’S COMMENTS TO THE U.S. EPA ON THE DRAFT FEDERAL PLAN AND MODEL RULES
January 21, 2016 in Reports & Whitepapers
January 21, 2016 The Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative (formerly Midwestern Power Sector Collaborative) is a diverse stakeholder group formed in 2012 to engage EPA and states on the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the Midcontinent region. Participants include state officials, investor-owned utilities, generation and transmission cooperatives, merchant generators, public power producers and environmental organizations from the Midcontinent region or with a significant presence in the region. The Collaborative is facilitated and staffed by the Great Plains Institute. Continue reading »
I have never seen a moose. I mean, I have seen photographs, heads mounted on walls, Rocky and Bullwinkle, but not one in real life. With the exception of my eight-year absence from Minnesota, I have been to the Boundary Waters every year, at least once a year, since I was six. I am certain I was six, because in one of the earliest BWCA trip photos, my brother, sister, and I are all wearing our 1987 World Series Champions t-shirts and I am not sporting the unfortunate bowl cut I had in kindergarten. I didn’t see any moose in the 1980s and they have evaded me ever since. Continue reading »
What’s Happening with Clean Energy in the Twin Cities?
January 20, 2016 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
Clean Energy Resources Abound!
There are big clean energy happenings in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro region of the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)!
We started off 2016 by releasing the list of seed grant projects that were funded for this biennium that included some really exciting projects. Continue reading »
Growing a Vibrant Northern MN Bioeconomy
January 8, 2016 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
Northern Minnesota has several elements – a strong natural resource base, existing supply chain infrastructure, history of industrial manufacturing – in place to help develop a robust bioeconomy cluster, but there is much more work to do to fully capture available opportunities. Continue reading »
The Paris Paradox: Climate Fix Seems Both Impossible & Inevitable
December 15, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Rolf Nordstrom
It’s no secret that the world has come to depend almost entirely (87%) on fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—for meeting our energy needs. Since the Industrial Revolution the discovery and use of fossil fuels have led to the largest increase in human well-being ever experienced, quite literally making modern life possible (think electricity, medicine, computers). Continue reading »
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Minnesota ENERGY STAR Challenge is excited to announce the selection of its community partners: the cities of Hutchinson and Woodbury. Each of these communities has demonstrated leadership in energy and sustainability initiatives and marks the beginning of lasting partnerships that will deepen efforts to increase building energy efficiency. Continue reading »
